Playwright & Lyricist
Donna Gay Anderson
About
Donna Gay
Donna Gay Anderson is a playwright/lyricist whose newest play, The Way We Say Goodbye, received productions at Southeastern Louisiana University in November 2022 and Mirror Box Theatre in Cedar Rapids, Idaho in June 2023. Other works have been produced and developed in North Carolina, Kentucky, New York, Minnesota, and Louisiana. Currently, she is collaborating with composer Theodore Christman on the musical, Unfolded, inspired by the life and work of international humanitarian Susie Krabacher. She is a contributing writer to Dramatists Magazine and MusicalWriters.com. Her fiction has been included in The Louisville Review and Arkansas Review. She holds degrees from Southeastern Louisiana University, The National Shakespeare Conservatory, and Spalding University. Memberships include Chicago Dramatists, Dramatists Guild of America, and The Playwrights Center. She and her husband Tom live in swampy south Louisiana with their dog, Winnie.
“This was a play that spoke to me on the page, but soared in the hands of the performers. I loved experiencing the full range of the human experience in one night.”
– Cavan Hallman, Mirrorbox Theatre speaking on “The Way We say Goodbye”
The Way We Say Goodbye
A Play, No Intermission
Humans bid farewell to people, places, and things for a plethora of reasons and in countless ways, leading them to places of gratitude, shame, anger, joy, grace, fear, and reconciliation. The Way We Say Goodbye, a collage of monologues with varying degrees of separation, introduces us to fourteen women and one man who celebrate, mourn, and sometimes cluelessly navigate the farewells that clear paths to the subsequent chapters of their lives. Simple to rehearse and produce, this script is flexible in casting. Perfect for universities and community theatre.
Unfolded
A Musical in Development
Unfolded is a musical theatre piece currently in development. It was inspired by the life and work of Susie Scott Krabacher. Raised in an abusive home, Susie escaped by becoming a Playboy centerfold. Later she gained notoriety for her work as an international humanitarian operating an orphanage for abandoned and disabled children in Haiti. Additionally she operates two schools, a feeding center, a medical clinic and a physical therapy center. Her story, now set to music, is one of triumph over tragedy, hope out of hopelessness and a commitment to love and care for the forgotten children of the world. For Video Recordings Click Here.
Projects
High and Mighty
A musical in two acts
2015
In the mid 1980s, two young women-Caroline and Bernie-meet for the first time in an Upper East Side church in Manhattan. On the same day, they are delighted to also meet Will, the new seminary intern, who happens to be a handsome, charming Princeton graduate. The two women and the intern become fast friends and unbeknownst to the women, the two younger gals each become romantically involved with the intern, who is of questionable character. When the possibility of a public scandal arises, the three act out as the worst of us would. One of them commits a crime within the walls of the church. Friendships, trust and hopes fracture as each character’s inner voice tries to steer them through this turning point in their lives.
The play contains strong language and is not appropriate for youngsters.
DEad Reckoning
A musical in two acts
TBA
Donna Gay and composer Theodore Christman are also currently collaborating in the new musical, Dead Reckoning, about a WWII pilot, his mother and her defense of his legacy after his squadron is lost at sea. Early in development, the project is currently presenting as a single act full musical with ten songs. Inspired by actual events from 1945, this piece considers what it takes to heal the wounds of losing a son and whether it’s possible to heal at all.
Gallery
Contact Me
Get In Touch
For inquiries please email me at dgbanderson1@gmail.com
Résumé available upon request